What have you done for your returning expatriates lately? Natasha Gunn on ways to prevent the frustrations associated with coming home.

Retaining valued personnel on repatriation should be the ultimate goal of multinational companies who wish to deepen their knowledge and international business expertise.

HR personnel need to be aware of the problems facing the returning expatriate and have a strategy in place to manage the transition to the home base successfully.

Provide assistance prior to the move home

 "Several steps taken a few months prior to the move home make the process easier for the expatriate and family," advocates Noel A Kreicker, president and founder, IOR Global Services. These include counseling the employee on job options, arranging career counseling for the spouse and offering financial and tax planning assistance.

Initiate an in-house repatriation training programme

Group repatriation programmes for employees and spouses, according to Kreicker, are a valuable means of recognising and addressing issues inherent to repatriation and transition.

The group may include those who have recently returned (minimum of two months back home) and former expatriates. Not only can participants learn from each other, but a support network is established. In-house trainers should be selected for their common overseas experience as well as familiarity with cross-cultural theory.

Counter job dissatisfaction on return

Job frustration is a common experience of many repatriates. Consultant Dr Ursula Brinkmann says, "Very often employees will experience less responsibility in their repatriate roles."

Holding a temporary 'non-job' until a suitable position becomes available can frustrate an expatriate. In such a situation, the expat could very likely leave the company

Other major factors contributing to dissatisfaction and a possible early departure: lack of recognition for work done abroad, loss of benefits, little interest in making use of the expat's newly acquired knowledge and skills.

Jealous colleagues, who view the expatriates as "spoiled" or arrogant, can also make the expatriate feel unappreciated.

The Global Relocation Trends 2001 Survey Report shows that effective ways to reduce attrition include providing chances for employees to use international experience, a choice of positions on return, recognition and repatriation career support.

IOR Global Services suggests applying outplacement techniques internally to ensure that repatriates are given the chance to advance their careers and to apply the international business skills they acquired whilst working abroad.

Manage expectations

The key, according to Brinkmann, is to establish contact with the repatriate, to help them get back (also with logistics), to manage expectations, and to signal that their experience is valued.

Ideally, she says, you involve them in courses for expatriates-to-be as they have recent, specific knowledge of the location.

To do this, however, one must be sure the expatriate is positive about the location/culture where they were living; a negative attitude can ruin the training. Attitude can be explored though conversing with the repatriate about their experiences, or more formally through assessment tools.

Cendant International Consulting advises that, without strategies in place to manage post-assignment expectations, expatriate expectations may be unrealistic. As a consequence, dissatisfied returnees may have a long-term impact on retaining talent.

Recognise reverse culture shock

Don’t underestimate the effects on employees and family of re-entry shock. In the time that he/she has been out of the country, the country itself may have changed as well as the person.

Getting reacquainted with one's hometown, friends, customs, and company, which will probably have changed since the expatriate went on assignment, can be very hard. The expatriate has already had to adjust to a new culture and work environment, and research shows that this adaptation tends to alter mental maps and behavioral routines.

Withdrawal pain and anger are commonly felt on return. Expatriate expert Robin Pascoe points out in her book Homeward Bound, "It’s okay to feel angry when you come home and the 'honeymoon' phase of your re-entry shock wears off."

She warns, however, that it can take a long time for families to get resettled and that people should be wary of moving again too soon as an anecdote.

Close the gap in expatriate knowledge management

This scenario probably sounds familiar: "Without proper management on repatriation many employees return home, find re-entry shock unmanageable, blame the company, get a better offer somewhere else, feel no loyalty and take the company investment out the door with them," writes Pascoe. "The spouse meanwhile is probably at home wondering if she will ever get her life back."Pascoe has observed that, although HR people seem to agree with and know about the changes they need to make to stop this kind of cycle, they don't seem to actually invest in their implementation.

The impact on the bottom line, however, is very real. Unless companies adopt organisation-wide policies that include repatriation services and support, they will lose their investments in people who should — and want to — continue working for their firms.

January 2003

Nastasha Gunn is the editor of Expatica HR.